We’re often asked how people can improve their English web content. Of course, the answer is to have an English editor proofread it for you, which is why we’re here! However, that’s not possible for everybody, so here are 5 tips to improve your English content today, including something especially for Dutch speakers!

1. Print your copy to proofread it.

There’s something about reading content you’ve just written from a screen. It’s still very fresh in your mind, plus reading from a screen encourages you to skim the words rather than read them, so mistakes are often missed. So print your copy onto paper, take them away somewhere with a pen and a cuppa and read it again with fresh eyes. You’ll notice far more that way. We’ve written about this in more detail on our blog: If you want to proofread your text, print it!

2. Beware of local sayings that don’t translate well.

If you’re using English to appeal to a global audience, be aware that using sayings that are only used in your native language will be confusing to speakers of other languages who may also be coming to it as their second language. Good examples of this are:

• Making an elephant out of a mosquito
• Now the monkey comes out of the sleeve
• To have hair on one’s teeth

Dutch speakers may know what these mean, however the rest of us are left scratching our heads…

3. Put sentences the right way round.

To use an English phrase, ‘don’t put the cart before the horse’. In other words, make your point then explain it afterwards. So, for example, instead of saying: ‘To build yourself a WordPress website you must first get a hosting package’, a better way of putting this would be: ‘You must get a hosting package before you can build a WordPress website.’ This may seem obvious but we have seen some otherwise very good writers make this mistake.

4. Be short and to the point.

When you review your own content you’ll be surprised by how often you repeat yourself, saying the same thing in different ways. Don’t be afraid to chop these repetitions out for clarity. Also, beware of directly translating from other languages, as French, for example, can be overly formal and wordy, and German can often over-explain things. In English, it’s better to find the shortest way to express your idea to keep the reader’s interest.

5. Beware the question mark!

Before you use a question mark, ask yourself: ‘Is this actually a question, or is it a statement?’ Never put a question mark at the end of a statement, even if it sounds like a question. This is tricky, but you can read more in our post: When to use a question mark in English.

Find us at WordCamp Utrecht if you want to know more about ways to improve your copy or if you have any content you would like our help with.

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This community comes together around software that leveled the playing field for businesses, organizations, and individuals who want to reach the world with a message or product.  WordPress gives us a powerful technical platform for sharing.  So, what do we need next?  Content to publish and promote, of course!

Did you know there’s a resource for content that saves you a huge amount of time and effort? It’s called ‘brandable content’ and it exists for a wide range of topics.  Another term often used is ‘private label rights content’.  The content is developed and written by ghostwriters adept with subject matter, then sold to others with the right to edit and brand for use.

Because the content is sold to multiple buyers, the cost is a fraction of what you’d spend on a private ghostwriter. This often sparks a question about the concern for publishing duplicate content, but that’s not an issue for many uses of the content that I’d recommend.  More on that in a minute.

I’ll kick this off by saying in most cases, the best content comes out of our own hearts and minds.  Written or spoken from our own experience, expressing our expertise, content we create ourselves is unique.  We know our market best and understand what they need.

The challenge arises in not having enough time to create all the content we’d really love to be sharing with the world. Brandable content fills the gap between what we can create and what we really need to accomplish our goals.

Here’s a common situation: The time you have available to write is spent creating great blog posts and a few compelling social posts to drive traffic to the new blog content.  This good!  Where you’ve fallen short for several weeks is finding time to craft a helpful small report to use as a new subscriber gift, so while you’re getting some eyes on your content, you’re not growing your mailing list or giving your readers a way to let you stay in touch.

Brandable content can be used to create a fantastic subscriber gift, whether it’s a small report, white paper, checklist or some other helpful chunk of content.  I’ve done this many times, focusing on a topic of high interest to my community, peppering in a few of my own stories and opinions, and finally adding my own branding and call to action.  Since I deliver this content via email, usually as a PDF, I don’t worry about duplicate content on the web.

There’s brandable content in a variety of formats.  Articles, eBooks, worksheets, checklists, even full version products you can adapt to use as a bonus or a product you actually sell.  My own business coach used several quality PLR workbooks to create a bundle of helpful resources that she sold the heck out of on Black Friday last year.

Could she have created these workbooks from scratch? Sure.  But why?  The PLR seller used ghostwriters with strong experience on the topics covered and formatted everything beautifully.  Having full confidence in the materials, she saved a tremendous amount of time and turned more of her readers into buyers at the same time.

I use PLR in ways that support and amplify my unique content.  It’s an invaluable part of my web marketing efforts.  While brandable content hasn’t been developed for every niche, it may very well be available for yours.  I encourage you to explore the possibilities.

If you operate in business development, marketing, self-help or health & wellness, I’ll invite you to visit White Label Perks for great brandable content choices.  In appreciation for your attention, I’d love to give you a coupon code good for one free package of your choice.  The code is: WORDCAMPBLOG

About the Author:

Kelly McCausey equips entrepreneurs to publish content they’re proud of for a community they love.  White Label Perks offers brandable content for social media driven list building.

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